Georgia gave its fans a few anxious moments but held on for a 24-17 decision over Penn State in Saturday’s TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Bulldogs led by 21 before the Nittany Lions made things interesting late. The defense, however, held when it counted, knocking down a last-second Hail Mary pass that allowed the Dawgs to finish the season on a positive note at 10-3.

It marked the ninth time in the past 15 years that Georgia has won at least 10 games in a season.

The Kirby Smart coaching era now awaits.

Here’s a closer look at Saturday’s victory.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. Georgia receiver Terry Godwin could be a future star: The former five-star recruit has been on a tear as of late to close his freshman year and gave what might be a glimpse of the future with an MVP performance in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Godwin passed for one touchdown and caught another within the waning moments of the first half as the Dawgs jumped to an insurmountable 17-3 halftime advantage. This could be just the beginning for Godwin.

2. The Bulldogs were ready to play, despite the circus that has engulfed the program since former coach Mark Richt’s departure: With a new interim head coach, two new coordinators and just two coaches set to remain on incoming new coach Kirby Smart’s staff, it would have been somewhat understandable if the Bulldogs weren’t prepared. But interim coach Bryan McClendon had the Dawgs ready from the outset, playing hard and fast. The execution wasn’t always pretty, but the Bulldogs gave a strong accounting for themselves to finish 10-3 for the second consecutive season.

3. Play-calling matters: Interim offensive coordinator John Lilly is no stranger to calling the offensive plays as he did a year earlier at the Belk Bowl in the wake of Mike Bobo’s departure for the Colorado State head coaching job. He was exemplary again Saturday, showing the kind of creativity needed for a balanced offense that rolled up 327 yards of total offense (166 rushing, 161 passing). Lilly could end up with an NFL job.

4. Georgia had way too much speed on defense for the Nittany Lions: Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was running for his life from the game’s outset and was eventually forced to leave the game with a right shoulder injury he suffered in the opening quarter. Injuries had decimated the Nittany Lions offensive line this year, meaning there was no way their makeshift unit could contend with one of the nastiest defensive front sevens that featured the likes of future NFLers Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd.

5. When in doubt, the Dawgs will always turn to their power running game: With a precarious 24-17 lead late in the game, McClendon understandably didn’t have enough confidence in the Georgia passing game to dare throw the ball, instead going to workhorse running backs Sony Michel and Keith Marshall. The two ably ground out clock-killing yardage on the Bulldogs’ final drive to deny the Nittany Lions the time they desperately needed to complete a furious comeback from 21 points. Michel finished with 85 yards and a score on 20 carries, while Marshall concluded his injury-ravaged collegiate career 62 yards on 14 rushes.

REPORT CARD

Offense — (B-): Georgia managed just enough offense with 327 yards to win but once again struggled with consistency. The Dawgs managed just 58 yards passing and only 129 yards of total offense in the second half as they began playing tentatively and prematurely looking at the clock. Greyson Lambert’s up-and-down play pretty much summed up his first season at Georgia.

Defense — (B): Georgia had too much speed on the edge and up the middle for the Nittany Lions to handle, but it was on the field a long time in the second half and surrendered too many plays in the air in the second half. Penn State was limited to just 4 of 18 on third-down tries, but the Nittany Lions managed to convert on 4 of 6 fourth-down tries to fuel their late rally. Backup Penn State quarterback Traci McSorley came off the bench in place of an injured Christian Hackenberg to throw two touchdown passes and nearly pulled off the upset. To their credit, the Bulldogs defense made the plays it needed to preserve the win.

Special teams — (A-): Kicker Marshall Morgan made his only field goal attempt, from 44 yards, before leaving the game with an ankle injury. His replacement, punter Colin Barber, fired wide left from 48 yards out in his first college field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Brice Ramsey averaged 40 yards on his five punts, while Isaiah McKenzie averaged 18 yards in his two punt returns. Georgia’s special teams snuffed out two would-be fake punt attempts to help keep the Nittany Lions at bay.

Coaching — (B+): McClendon, coaching his final game with the Dawgs before assuming the offensive coordinator job at South Carolina, brought a much-needed confidence and relaxed feel to a Georgia team desperately in need of it following all the turmoil that came in the wake of Richt’s dismissal. Interim offensive coordinator Lilly is now 2-0 as a play-caller after filling in for Bobo in the Belk Bowl a year earlier and with good reason. He was creative with his plays and wasn’t afraid to take shots when available. Kevin Sherrer, who will remain as the linebackers coach on Smart’s staff, had his guys eager to get after Penn State quarterbacks.

Overall — (B): It wasn’t the bowl Georgia fans had in mind at the season’s start, but the Dawgs showed a lot of heart in overcoming the many distractions surrounding the program as of late and holding on for a much-needed victory. It was a great way to start the new year and begin the Smart coaching era.

GAME PLAN

• You can’t really blame Penn Statefor being caught completely unprepared for Godwin’s throw out of the “Wild Dawg” formation. The former high school quarterback and five-star recruit hadn’t thrown a pass all season, so it was a perfect time for Lilly to give it a go. The play worked perfectly as Godwin found a streaking Mitchell for a 44-yard touchdown that put the Dawgs ahead for good at 10-3 in the second quarter.

GAME BALLS

• WR Terry Godwin: The TaxSlayer Bowl MVP accounted for two touchdowns (one throwing, one receiving) to fuel the Georgia offensive attack. In addition to his pass completion, Godwin finished with four catches for 34 yards and one score and added a 27-yard kickoff return.

• WR Malcolm Mitchell: The senior was again the Dawgs’ go-to guy in his final collegiate game, totaling five receptions for 114 yards, including the 44-yard scoring strike from Godwin.

• FS Dominick Sanders: Registered his team-best sixth interception in the first quarter to set up a Marshall Morgan field goal that opened the game’s scoring.

• RB Sony Michel: The sophomore didn’t hear his number called as much against Penn State, but still tallied 85 yards on 20 carries, including a 21-yard third-quarter touchdown jaunt in which carried a Nittany Lions defender into the end zone with him.

INJURY UPDATE

K Marshall Morgan (ankle): The senior’s career ended in the first half when he sprained his right ankle and was forced to leave the game

WR Reggie Davis (ankle): The junior also left the game in the first half with an ankle injury.